Chapter 1:

Yoona faced the mirror, arranging and rearranging her hair. She was already ready for school even though it was still early. School was only a short walk away, and since today was the first day for people like her, freshmen of the university, they were excused of classes, and were to attend the university’s welcome assembly where they would be introduced to the basic facilities in the school as well as be informed of the important things.

Truthfully, she did not know what she wanted to accomplish. The important things she’d figured out—she knew what she wanted to be and where was going to go. But what about how she was going to get there? Yes, sure, study hard and do your best, that’s all one needs, but Im Yoona already knows that, and does that. She didn’t graduate valedictorian of her batch for nothing, after all.

What she didn’t know was whether she wanted to shine, as in really shine. She’d been very much a wallflower in her old school despite having been deemed the smartest. She was just a name to most of her old classmates, the unreachable one, the untouchable, and the only one that knew that that wasn’t the truth was her best friend, Seohyun, who had now moved to Canada with her family. She'd been quite sad when Seohyun first told her of that plan, but then she grew to accept it. If that was best for Seohyun, then so be it. They could always get together again in the future.

Finally, she decided. We'll see how things are in school then decide. It was a pretty lame answer, and a very safe one, but it was true to her character. She always wanted to know if she could still handle something before she jumped into actually doing it, never jumping head first into something and always chewing off only what she knew she could chew. Then, she settled down to read a book until she had to get going. The campus wasn't going anywhere, she had the time.

~°~

As she'd expected of the assembly, it was full of random things that she could either categorize as 'useful' and 'useless', though she set that standard to her own, and others may find it useful when she did not. She did not enjoy learning the school cheers. She found it awkward and embarrassing to do so, since she never really had school spirit, and even with the school's all-famous pep squad leading the cheers enthusiastically, she still could not find the spirit to do so. Neither did she enjoy the weird games that the hosts tried to play with them. Goodness, no! It was not a game meant for such a large audience, yet they tried to. She commended them for trying, but it was still a failure to her, something she would never do.

The day passed as she did not need to attend any class. She trudged home after taking care of the small details such as procuring her ID and getting it validated for the semester. She also got her school email account, which she would use for her registration for classes for the next semester.

A few weeks passed, and the amount of school work she had began to pile up. It was not beyond her capabilities, but it was not a breeze either, and that pressured her.

Stress began to build up, accompanied by the pressure on herself to excel. She studied harder and worked harder just so that she could say to herself, that was good enough, but not what I wanted.

One night, she went to sleep after wrapping up a paper, feeling proud of herself for doing so, and she dreamt.

Yoona found herself sitting on a large rock by a gentle river. The scene was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking, she'd never seen anything like it! Immediately, she was captured, and she released a dreamy sigh as she admired her surroundings.

"Beautiful, no?" a gentle male voice asked.

Yoona whipped her head around to see a young man standing there behind her, now before her. He had a soft smile on his face, and it made him seem so much more innocent, like a child. His big eyes were kind-looking, and definitely endearing, and his short brown hair was tousled lazily, but that simply empowered the child-like innocence of his features.

The shock of it caused her to lose her balance, but before she could hit the water, he grabbed hold of her hand and slipped one arm under her back, and swiftly pulled her safely to shore.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"I-yes," she replied after a moment's hesitation. "Thank you."

Yoona couldn't help but be stunned, and he didn't make any move to mention anything to her, he just smiled. His smile faltered for a bit, however, when he heard the rustling of leaves behind him. He whipped around only to be greeted by the image of a tall figure that towered over the two of them. He looked like he had a bad day, perhaps because of the vegetation that blocked his path.

But if he just smiled... Yoona found herself thinking.

Smile he did, and he spoke. His voice was deeper than that of the man in front of her, and he looked far more strict, but somehow, his features conveyed an amiable personality, albeit a strict one. At first, he looked flustered, but when his eyes laid on the other man, he seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Lu Han," he called.

"What's wrong, Kris?" he asked the new comer.

"You are summoned," he said, almost apologetically.

"I see," he replied.

"Well, Ms. Yoona, I must go. Kris, would you mind attending to my guest? I'm afraid she's new around here," he said.

"So it seems," he said with a slight smirk. "Ms. Yoona, it is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Kris."

Kris bowed cordially to her, smiling amiably. Yoona was still gaping, lost in her thoughts as she tried to translate the things she'd seen and heard into coherent thoughts that made sense to her, but it really didn't.

"Ms. Yoona? Are you alright?" Lu Han asked.

"How do you know my name?" she blurted. It wasn't the best of greetings that she could give, but given the circumstances, that was already quite grand. Poor Yoona was confused.

"I-" Lu Han began.

"Allow me to explain," Kris said. "Lu Han?"

"Yes, yes. Things must be attended to. Ms. Yoona, I shall see you again soon. Kris, I leave her in your capable hands," he declared with a smile before heading off.

Kris nodded, but Lu Han did not see it as he scurried off through the vegetation. Yoona began to think.

"There isn't much to think about, Ms. Yoona," Kris said, as though he'd read her mind. "Nothing at all."

"But how do you know my name when I don't know yours? How do you explain how I got here when the last distinct memory I have is of me in my room falling asleep after finishing my homework? Come to think of it, why was it that seem to have been here this whole time and I only suddenly realized it?" she asked, flooding him with questions.

Kris smiled. "Well, honestly speaking I don't know you, but Lu Han does. I only found out your name because he said so, as you found out ours because we said so, right?"

She nodded.

"As for falling asleep, then I guess you're in a dream, as Lu Han and I are," he replied. "How you came here is as much a mystery to me as it is to you, for how I find myself here every time I need to be is a question that needs a profound answer, that, I believe, my brain is yet to be ready for."

"But still...!"

"Would you believe it more if Lu Han were the one who explained it to you?" he asked. His voice held no grudge nor edge, it was a simple, innocent question, but it got Yoona thinking.

Would I believe it more if it came from Lu Han's mouth? But I barely know them! she thought as Kris patiently waited for her.

He sat down on one of the smaller rocks nearby, watching her, and thinking. He thought of a lot of things as he waited. He thought of his friend, he thought of his brothers, he thought of others, and he thought of the person in front of her, and, he wondered. Why is she here? The answer eluded him, and he realized that Lu Han was perhaps the one that knew the answer best. After all, it seems either she was sent here for him, or he was sent for her, and neither of them who were present at the moment knew why.

"By any chance, Ms. Yoona, are you Korean?" he asked randomly, catching her off guard.

Him and his odd questions, Yoona thought, but decided to entertain his question. "Yes, I am."

"From the South?"

"Yes."

"Lovely," he replied. She gave him an odd look, to which he replied, "No, please do not think that I am trying to pull anything. I meant that the South is a beautiful country, though it has its faults, as any other country, and I can only hope that the North will recognize the benefits the South has. It is prosperous, and its people are noble and hard working, a result of the country's past, is it not?"

"Yeah, if you mean the past referring to the Korean War..."

He nodded solemnly. "I only wish that it brought about better things. War is never beautiful nor good. It is a disease that eats the country alive and turns it into an unrecognizable monster."

His words drifted through her mind lazily but powerfully. Though they were spoken softly, mere thoughts, they etched themselves deeply into her mind, forcing her to reflect on things she'd never even thought of.

They heard the rustling of leaves once more and Lu Han popped out of the vegetation.

"You're still here!" he exclaimed brightly. "I'm glad to see you again, Ms. Yoona."

"But we just saw each other, didn't we?" she asked.

"Lu Han, I think that it's best of Ms. Yoona woke up now. I'm sure she has things to attend to in the waking world," Kris mentioned. "Though I do believe you will be back, Ms. Yoona, right, Lu Han?"

"Yes, definitely," Lu Han agreed with an enthusiastic smile. "It would be a pleasure to see you again soon, Ms. Yoona. I hope you can come back."

"How can I come back if I don't know the way?" she asked.

"There are some roads that we don't know, but somehow, we know how to get where we're going," he said as her vision slowly began to blur. "Good morning, Ms. Yoona, and we hope to see you again soon."

~°~

"Good morning, Sis," a messy haired young man greeted lazily as he shoved cereal into his mouth.

She shook her head, wondering about him. The two of them roughly had a four year difference, making her little brother a first year high school student. The two of them were quite different, almost worlds apart, but they got along well together. Not a lot of people thought they looked alike, but they did, in some way; her brother just looked more like their father and she like her mother.

"Morning, Kai," she replied.

"Honestly," their mother sighed as she came out of the kitchen. "Yoona, why do you entertain your brother by calling him that? We gave him a perfectly reasonable name--Jongin."

"It's nice, Ma, but I just like 'Kai'," Kai said. "Besides, I answer to both anyway, so not much problem there."

"You're right, but it's just so far from your real name, dear, and it sounds so Japanese," she explained with a sigh.

"Does it? I thought it sounded more like Kaiser," he commented, eating his cereal.

Their mother shook her head, though there was a small smile plastered on her face. "Jongin... Make sure you live up to it! Well, you kids finish your food and get to school. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yes, Ma," the two responded in unison. Their mother went up to her room to get ready for the day.

"Are you done?" Yoona asked.

"You're not having breakfast?"

"I'll eat in school," she replied.

"No. Not okay. Eat, I have to take a bath anyway," he said, getting up, dropping his bowl into the sink on the way.

Yoona shook her head and began to eat her breakfast to pass the time until her brother got out of the bathroom. As she did so, she reflected on the events of last night--or was it this morning?--and wondered why she would have such a dream. It occurred to her that it was odd that she would have such a dream and actually wonder why she was having such a dream. Didn't you accept occurrences in a dream as naturally as you would accept things in the waking world? So why did she question? Moreover, she distinctly remembered neither of them referred to the real world as 'real', but rather as the ‘waking world’. Did that imply anything?

"Any problem, Sis? Did studying too much suddenly make you feel so lonely?" Kai asked as he approached her, all neat and tidy, ready for school with his bag slung over his shoulders. His hair was now neatly arranged, his fringe styled away from his eyes. He looked positively different from what he looked like before. Now, he looked alert and energetic, while just a few minutes ago, he looked absolutely sluggish and messy.

"No, I just had the weirdest dream last night," she replied, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she got up. "Let's go?"

Kai nodded and they walked out of the house, just as they'd always done since they were old enough to walk to school by themselves.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"No, thanks," she replied, brushing a lock of hair out of the way.

"Is it that weird that you've run out of words for it?" he asked.

"If I say 'yes', will you stop asking?"

"No, 'cause you just gave me more reason to wonder," he said with a playful smile.

"Kai, please," she sighed.

"Okay, okay, whatever you say, Sis. But remember, just 'cause Seo's not around doesn't mean you're alone. Suho's around," he joked.

"Suho...?" she asked. "Ah...! Why you little-"

"Just kidding, just kidding," Kai said, flinching away from Yoona's impending slap of doom.

"Kai, please, okay? I'm alright even if Seo's not around; she's my friend, but that doesn't mean she's my life source."

"If you say so, but I still think you need to open up to more people," he commented. "She's practically your only friend."

"You're my friend and your friends are my friends, too!"

"That's a default," he said. "I'm your brother, they're my friends. Not counted, Yoong, not counted. But then again, if you wanted..."

"Who died and made you matchmakers?" she asked.

"We're not! You just don't have a life."

"...I do...!"

"That lapse proves otherwise," he said with a shake of his head. "Anyway, see ya later, Sis! I'm going to be home late 'cause Baekhyun wants to show us something cool."

"Another new move he learned?"

"I guess," he shrugged. "Well, see ya. Have fun at uni!"

"How is that fun?" she asked as he ran off.

"That's why you've got to make some friends!" he replied, his voice receding into the distance as he ran into the school gates.

Yoona shook her head with a smile and walked towards the bus station. She'd be early, very early, but as of the moment, she wasn't ready to let go of her and her brother's routine of walking to school together.

~°~

Kai loitered in the hallways during their break, hands stuffed in his pockets, going around in circles. He kicked an imaginary rock as he thought, and as he circled around once more, he collided with a body.

"I'm sorry," he reflexively with a bow as the other person chuckled. He recognized the voice and immediately shot up straight.

"No sweat, Kai," the other boy beamed.

"Sehun," Kai said as he grinned widely.

"Yah, where've you been? We've been looking for you. Are you planning on leaving us hanging for eternity?" he asked.

"What?"

"You never showed up," Sehun said with a grin. "We were all hungry so we decided to forego waiting for you and eat instead then look for you later. I know, I know, the school's not that big, but still, Kai, it's difficult looking for someone! You could've been anywhere."

"So how'd you find me?"

"I asked," he replied with a huge grin.

~°~

"It is an entity called 'God', that which is higher and far more powerful than any that can be found in the physical world. Now, the idea of 'God' is quite universal, though the number is not. Some indigenous cultures believe in more than one whilst others believe in only one. Those that do not believe were few and rare, and they were the exception," the teacher explained.

Yoona listened intently, pen ready to take down any notes that she might find useful; their teacher was discussing about God and his ways of communication with mortals, and one of them was through dreams. She entertained the thought that perhaps Lu Han was more than he seemed, more than what he presented himself to be. That would've given justification to his prior knowledge of her existence.

But he didn't seem like one. If Kris hadn't entered the picture...then maybe her theory might've been possible. Kris was the one that made Lu Han seem human. His words, you are summoned, did not sound like anything anyone could make to a god, but a man.

...Or was it Kris who was not human, but simply pretending to be one? No, it could not have been. Clearly, Kris was either at a par with Lu Han or he was of a lower rank by the way they spoke.

The teacher broke her line of thought as she declared the end of classes. She quickly packed her things and scurried off with everyone else. Those questions would have to be answered later, if not answered by Lu Han himself, or Kris.

~°~

"Byun Baekhyun! Byun Baekhyun!" the guys cheered as Baekhyun, a slender young man, performed a move for them. It was the one he'd been practicing recently, and one he intended to use at an international contest.

He flipped around in the air with a stick in his hands and ended with a cool pose, sending his friends clapping.

"So, what do you guys think?" he asked.

"Cool," they replied.

"Great! I'm planning on performing that in a contest soon. Do you think I have a shot at winning it?" he asked.

"Maybe," one shrugged with a mischievous grin.

"Why so cruel today, Minseok?" another asked. "Not to worry, I think you'll do just fine. Besides, win or lose, what matters is that you do your best and have fun, right?"

The others nodded in agreement as Baekhyun replied, "Yeah, you're right. But I really want to get to the too. There might be scholarship grants to whoever catches the eye of the headmasters of the martial arts schools there."

"Will that be a big fat if?" Kai asked.

"I guess," he shrugged.

"We'll cheer you on, then!" he concluded, and his friends agreed.

"Go, Baekhyun!" Chanyeol bellowed, and the others followed suit as Baekhyun smiled sheepishly.

A/N: The school system that I will be following here is the same as in the Philippines (prior to the K-12 thingy whatever). Meaning: 6 years elementary followed by 4 years of high school. College comes after that, normally four years. :)